Isaiah Thomas hands out a career-best 15 assists in Celtics' win

Wednesday

Jan 4, 2017 at 1:51 AMJan 4, 2017 at 1:54 AM

Jim Fenton The Enterprise @JFenton_ent

BOSTON – He has been proving people around the NBA wrong since being the last player selected in the 2011 draft.Isaiah Thomas always gets plenty of motivation from any kind of doubt or slight that may come his way.

The latest example came Tuesday when Thomas was unhappy about not being named the Eastern Conference player of the month after averaging 30.3 points and 5.9 assists while scoring 44 and 52 points in wins.

The award instead went to John Wall of the Washington Wizards, who averaged 24.5 points and 10.7 assists.

“Nothing against him,’’ said Thomas. “He’s a great player and he had a great month. I don’t understand what that award is about. I don’t. I felt like I should have got it. But he earned it. He’s a good friend of mine.’’

Thomas thought he was going to be the winner after scoring 29 fourth-quarter points to end a career-high 52-point masterpiece last Friday against the Miami Heat.

So what did Thomas do for an encore with the extra motivation he was carrying Tuesday night?

Thomas handed out a career-high 15 assists with only one late turnover to go with 29 points as the Celtics defeated the Utah Jazz, 115-104, at the TD Garden.

His versatile offense came against the NBA’s top defensive team, which allowed a season high in points.

“I was just taking what the defense gives me and my guys took care of me by making shots,’’ said Thomas after the Celtics won for the eighth time in 10 games. “I know they’re a good defensive team, and when I attacked, they showed more than one guy and my job was just to get the ball to the open guy.

“If they give you a lot of attention, you’ve just got to take what they give you and find the open man because they can’t take away everything. If they try to do what they can to take what I bring to the game away, I’ve got to find other way to be an impact in the game and I tried to do that.’’

The 15 assists came one game after Thomas did not have any during his 52-point outburst against the Heat.

“I think it shows the versatility,’’ said Al Horford, who had 21 points. “He got a lot of slack for whatever reason for scoring so much (and not having an assist). Tonight he goes for 29 and 15, and it just shows how good he is.’’

Thomas, who is averaging 27.8 points and 6.4 assists, was challenging the Utah defense inside, then making some pinpoint passes out of trouble to open teammates.

“He makes the game easy for me and everybody else when he gets it going like that,’’ said rookie Jaylen Brown, who had 10 points. “I really do think that he has eyes in the back of his head. Sometimes he’s in the paint with all the trees and he just whips it out to the 3-point line. I think he has eyes in the back of his head behind his headband.’’

Thomas has grown familiar with his teammates and where they will be on the court, making his playmaking game flourish when he gets crowded.

“Guys know what I’m doing on the offensive end,’’ said Thomas. “I know where they’re going to be and it’s me growing as a player of not just being in scoring mode but making plays for others.

“We’ve been together a few years so we’re familiar with what each guy gives to the game.’’

The Jazz had their hands full trying to figure out how to play Thomas, not knowing if he was going to attempt to score or dish the ball away.

“He did it in all kinds of ways,’’ said Utah coach Quin Snyder. “The best plays that he made and the most impactful were when he got to the rim and he’d go up and find people.’’

Said Gordon Hayward, who led the Jazz with 23 points, “First off, he’s having a hell of a year, so he’s not just doing it against us. He’s doing it against everybody. He was good in the paint, making the right read, kicking it out.’’

As the season’s midway point approaches, Thomas just keeps getting better and better, going from the career-best 52 points one night to a career-high 15 assists in the next game.

Chants of “MVP’’ in his honor are getting louder at the Garden.

“I’m not at my peak,’’ said Thomas. “I’ve got a lot more to go.’’

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